Swarms of Flies in the run

[megamilez]

Hello!

So today, I went out to the duck run for their daily pool water cleaning to find swarms of flies. Like clouds it seemed like. I think part of the problem is that the run has really fine mesh so any bugs that get inside struggle to leave..

I’ve already hung a fly trap and purchased a couple more. I sprinkled DE around the run. What else can I do to address the issue (aside from the obvious try and keep the coop clean)

I think part of the problem is the daily tipping of the pool water but I’m not sure if that is avoidable.

Thanks in advance for your input!!

 

[Duckworth]

Can you post a picture of your run? I’m wondering about the drainage for the water you are dumping from your pool, your substrate, and other features that might enable me and others to be more helpful to you.

 

[megamilez]

I'll snap some pictures tomorrow for you if these two pictures don't give you enough insight.

 

[Duckworth]

Thanks! Do you just have the two ducks? If yes, you could consider getting a smaller kiddie pool so that you have less water being dumped each day. I can see how your run area could get boggy with all of that water. I use a smaller pool for that reason. When things get boggy anyway, I also bail my pool with a bucket and pour that nice poopy water onto my garden where the fertilizer will benefit my plants. I have a wood floor under my run and in summer, use straw on the dry side and hose off the wood of the wet side daily, washing the dirty water out through a cleanout door on the lowest side of the run. I also sprinkle Sweet PDZ stall refresher to help absorb moisture and neutralize ammonia. My ducks eat any maggots that manage to hatch and my sticky traps catch a lot of flies. I also have the smelly traps to attract the flies away from the pen.

My sense from looking at your run is that reducing moisture is going to help your fly problem. So that would be where I would focus my attention.

 

[SouthernStorm]

We use the Captivator fly trap system which uses a container with a VERY stinky lure to attract and trap flies inside. It works fantastically near our run with 39 chickens, but it does smell atrocious.

 

[megamilez]

Thanks for the detailed responses! Yes I just have the two ducks. I felt like moisture was the source. I think I will start by laying some plywood down to help direct the water outside the coop. I’ll likely keep the larger pool as I like the idea of them having the space to swim around. I tried to get the captivator trap but it is backordered on Amazon so I purchased a couple alternative products that I hope will work well. I might employ a couple other methods you mentioned as well if the issue is still present.

Thanks!!

 

[Trimurtisan]

If the soil is constantly wet, you could look in to a product called Dunks. It's mainly used to control mosquito larvae in ponds, but it is a bacteria that eats larvae in general. Hopefully it being a bacteria doesn't both/scare you, it's harmless to us and or feathered friends.

It's pet, people, and plant friendly. I do a lot of indoor gardening, and a fungus gnats infestation is pretty easy with most soil.

A few years ago my entire house was infested with gnats. Anywhere there was moisture, the where gnats. I started using Dunks Bits (crumbles) and have not had a single issue yet. It's fall's under safe pest control and allowed in organic production.

It can be found in most garden centers, Amazon, Wally mart, and so on.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I may have an idea that will work really good for you! Actually, I have to credit @Miss Lydia!

I'm assuming you fill your pool using a hose right? When you get ready to clean the pool take the nozzle off the hose. Weigh the end of the hose that's in the pool down at the lowest part of the pool (I use a brick) so it doesn't pop up above the water. Run some water into the pool. Then turn off the faucet, unhook the hose from the faucet and drag that end of the hose away from where the pool is, trying to go downhill if possible.

As long as the end of the hose that's in the pool is being held down under water the pool will drain pretty quickly and if your hose is long enough you can direct all that rich with poo pool water into a garden, shrubs, flowers, etc. It's just a simple siphon but it sure beats having a mud mess and having to bail it out.

 

[Duckworth]

We use the Captivator fly trap system which uses a container with a VERY stinky lure to attract and trap flies inside. It works fantastically near our run with 39 chickens, but it does smell atrocious.

We use the same or similar traps and they do smell terrible, but thousands of flies end their lives there each month.

 

[Duckworth]

I may have an idea that will work really good for you! Actually, I have to credit @Miss Lydia!

I'm assuming you fill your pool using a hose right? When you get ready to clean the pool take the nozzle off the hose. Weigh the end of the hose that's in the pool down at the lowest part of the pool (I use a brick) so it doesn't pop up above the water. Run some water into the pool. Then turn off the faucet, unhook the hose from the faucet and drag that end of the hose away from where the pool is, trying to go downhill if possible.

As long as the end of the hose that's in the pool is being held down under water the pool will drain pretty quickly and if your hose is long enough you can direct all that rich with poo pool water into a garden, shrubs, flowers, etc. It's just a simple siphon but it sure beats having a mud mess and having to bail it out.

I was thinking about a siphon, too. I used to keep fish and used the siphon vacs to clean the gravel in my tanks regularly. I was trying to figure out how to start a siphon out of my duck pool and your method would work great to get that water to my fruit trees down the slope from my duck house. Thanks!